Rekindling the Flame: Recognizing and Removing the Roadblocks to Revival
“We’ll have Church when God comes, but not until then. All of our religious activities mean nothing without His hallowed presence … The week is full of activities — we know how to keep the programs going. We know how to play our part. The machinery continues to operate, but the mountains won’t move until He comes.” (Gene Easley)
As someone who was passionate about spiritual awakenings, Gene Easley’s statement above is spot on — we must desire spiritual renewal. Yes, revival is a sovereign act of God, but God calls us to participate and to respond. In short, He’ll provide the fire if we provide the sacrifice. (See Jeremiah 29:13; Hosea 10:12; 2 Chronicles 7:14; and Psalms 51:17.)
I try to avoid labels: I’m neither Pentecostal nor conservative. I’m simply a person hungry for more of God and His Word. But over the years, I’ve noticed a troubling trend: We are either so eager for revival that we manipulate it, or we’re closed off to it because of abuse within Christendom — and either extreme hinders a deep work of the Spirit.
Fortunately, the Scriptures list roadblocks that can prevent a mighty downpour of the Spirit, and what we can do to reignite the flames.
Pride Quenches; Humility Ignites
Leading the list is pride. Everything from being concerned about the opinions of others to not recognizing our own spiritual need falls under the banner of pride.
If you believe you don’t need a deeper work of the Spirit in your life, then you’ll stay STUCK in neutral. Humble yourself today and reignite the fire of the Spirit. “Break up your fallow ground,” because it’s time to seek the Lord (Hosea 10:12). Brokenness is the path to revival.
Choosing Popularity Over Holiness
Many people want to be known as cool and relevant, with a large following on social media. God may make you relevant and expand your reach, but your passion must be pursuing Him. He honors pursuit, not popularity.
Therefore, we must “come out from among them and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). God doesn’t rain down revival on the lukewarm. He revives the barren as well as the broken — those with a fire burning in their bosoms (Jeremiah 20:9; Isaiah 57:15).
Manipulating the Spirit
Trying to “work up the crowd” never works. We can’t work up revival; God must bring it down. When leaders manipulate the atmosphere and embellish what’s taking place, it quickly quenches the Spirit. Don’t boast about great crowds and unverified experiences; humble yourself before God does it for you.
Many even use seasons of outpouring for their own glory or to increase their revenue streams when it should be just the opposite. Repent today if you’re operating with ulterior motives and a lack of integrity.
Allowing Sin in the Camp
We must keep sin on a very short leash — and if you’re a pastor, you must lovingly confront it when necessary. Whether there is sin in your heart or in situations that you are aware of, iniquity affects the infilling of the Spirit. For instance, when we allow gossipers, critical hearts, sexual sin, and wrong attitudes to go unchecked, it will always stifle revival. Granted, confrontation must come from a humble heart, but it must come. God will not bless a nonconfrontational leader when silence flows from cowardliness.
I also believe that one of the biggest hindrances to revival is allowing liberties to become a cloak for vice (1 Peter 2:16). And one of the biggest culprits is alcohol. It’s shocking when worship leaders and pastors post their favorite beverage, Bible study groups can’t wait for wine-tasting events, and church leaders are cavalier about their own use of it. I’ve never met anyone in the midst of revival that allowed this destructive liberty to go unchecked.
Pastor John MacArthur states what many of us feel but seldom discuss: “It is puerile and irresponsible for any pastor to encourage the recreational use of intoxicants — especially in church-sponsored activities.”
He continues, “The ravages of alcoholism and drug abuse in our culture are too well known, and no symbol of sin’s bondage is more seductive or more oppressive than booze.”
I couldn’t agree more. Many will look back and regret the damage that was done to lives, churches, and their own testimony, and how severely this hindered the work of the Spirit. Stop quenching the Spirit by flaunting liberty. (More here.)
Fear of Letting God Out of the Box
Revival is not a response to our plan, but a response to God’s plan. Pastors, what God wants to do must be the passion behind our calling, not the flow of the service. We must be open to what He desires. Sticking to the program is safe — it’s comfortable to know when the service will begin and end, how many songs, the length of our sermon, the number of announcements, and so on. I get it, but we are stewarding a worship service for the living God, not a business meeting.
Granted, having consistency and a plan is necessary, but we must be willing to forego “the plan” when warranted. I recently experienced this on April 6, when I felt a deep desire to continue in worship at our church’s second service and simply forego preaching. I wrestled with God for over 20 minutes, asking, “Lord, is this really what You want to do?”
As I prayed, the atmosphere confirmed my desire, but I encountered a new hindrance: the opinions of others. I decided to trust God and announce that we were going to continue in worship and that people were free to leave. To my amazement, only a few people left. To say that God met us that morning is an understatement! (You can watch a recent clip of this event here.)We must pray for a spiritual awakening, repent of apathy, and begin to pursue God like never before. Today’s choice determines tomorrow’s reward … tomorrow’s awakening.
How badly do you want revival?
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the creator of the WCF Radio Network. His program, Regaining Lost Ground, points us back to God and reminds us that although times change, truth does not. His books, blogs, and sermons can all be found at ShaneIdleman.com.